Reggie's eyes got an evil glint as he whispered, “You should just surprise them.”
I bent my head back and laughed. “Oh, Reggie, you’re bad.”
He didn't smile or laugh with me, but his eyes twinkled with mirth. “I wouldn't be in Hell if I wasn't.”
I pointed at him and winked. “Touché.”
I was about to walk to the door when Reggie cleared his throat. I paused and turned back to him. “What's up?”
He bristled at my informal question but continued, “Would you like to take the hounds with you? They are starting to get restless. I asked Mr. Conquest about where you were going, and I can tell the hounds to meet you all at the first spot. They might even be useful for your hunt.”
My eyes went round, and I suddenly felt like the biggest tool in the world for forgetting about the Hellhounds. They were the best little beasts that anyone could own. I turned to head to the hound mansion I’d made my father build when I’d first gotten them, but Reggie stopped me.
“Majesty, I think it would be best if you take care of your mates out front first. The hounds will be going crazy when they know that you have returned, and they could use the long run to calm themselves when they meet your mates for the first time.”
Reggie eyed me and a light went off in my head. Oh. The hounds were not going to like that they would have to share me with four others. They could get quite territorial.
“I think I agree with you… even if I want to see Vruz and Onyx in the worst way.” I pouted a little, and he patted my forearm.
“They are not normal dogs. This is the best we can do for your mates.” Reggie’s comfort turned into a sinister grin as he spun away from me and headed to their hound house. Well, someone was having fun terrorizing my mates. I shrugged my shoulders and went through the iron front door.
The first thing I saw was Con sitting on the large steps with a basket. War was jogging in place for some crazy ass reason. Fame was a couple steps away from the house, looking off into the distance, then back to a map. Death was leaning against one of the columns, smoking and staring off into space. What a foursome they were, so different that it kept me on my toes.
As soon as my foot hit the deck, they all turned and watched me. I was a little embarrassed by all the attention, but I got over it like I would at any of my jobs and decided to give them attitude instead of showing fear. I put my hands on my hips.
“Okay, so how did you guys want to do this? Reggie just told me that he prepped all the ATVs if we wanted to split up—”
Death straightened up and interrupted me, talking around his cigarette, letting it bob on his bottom lip in a distracting way. “Why can’t you just wink us there? Reggie boy in there let it slip that you could’ve done it when we first got to Hell.”
If I weren't so focused on his bottom lip, and how much I wanted to suck on it, I would've gotten pissed off by his condescending tone. Instead, I was imagining those lips doing something else. Something much more south.
I shook my head, trying not to think about his stupid mouth.
“So first, I would like to say that the only beings in Hell that can wink are the rulers of Hell and the princes. Even then, the princes are limited to their circle, which is why we have the princes’ conference room in the house as a neutral zone for all parties. They can wink into that room at any time.
“But I digress. One, as soon as my father switched over the power of rulership, that was when I had the ability totryto wink. Two, since I have never had this power before, I didn't want to test it for the first time with four carry-ons when I didn't know exactly what I was doing myself. You wouldn't want me to test my powers out on you without knowing what the effects would be, right?”
They nodded.
Oh, and before I forgot…
“Death,” I called out sweetly as his eyes narrowed on me. “That was question number two for you. You only have one more.” I bit my lip as I smirked at him.
His mouth dropped open, cigarette dropping to the ground as his eyes darted around, trying to see a way out of the corner he’d backed himself into.
“I-I-I… I mean, w-w-we…” Finally, he closed his mouth and rolled his eyes, mumbling about how I knew that wasn't what they meant about questions, but I felt like it was only fair. They got to team up with each other to ask me questions. I just had myself and my instincts.
Con lifted his picnic basket. “I wanted to bring a backpack with snacks, but this is what Reggie gave me when I asked for them.”
I hid my laugh behind my hand as I nodded, knowing Reggie was old school like that.
“Is this something you can wink with you?” He eyed it like it was way too big for me.
I nodded excitedly. “Yes. Basically, anything I touch and what those people touch can be winked with me. But I will warn you that with winking—especially for an inexperienced winker like me—the ride can get… a little rough.”
War chose that moment to run up the stairs. He scooped me up into his arms and nuzzled my neck like a baby animal looking for its mama. Then he took in a deep breath of my scent like it gave him the power to move mountains. “I will be your guinea pig, little goddess. I'm the strongest here and the most willing.”
Death rolled his eyes. “We all are willing to be the guinea pigs, you big oaf.” He put out his cigarette in the dirt with his shoe.
